Good morning and welcome to the Sprout, where we would like to wish our American readers a very happy National Agriculture Day. (For those of you here at home it’s National Ravioli Day.)

Now, here’s today’s agriculture news.

THE LEAD

Cash-strapped Prairie farmers want the Liberal government to amend its planned overhaul of Canada’s transportation system to ensure another grain shipping season isn’t lost, warning current transportation delays jeopardize this country’s international reputation.

“I don’t think you can save this season” Warren Sekulic, a director with the Alberta Wheat Commission, told the House of Commons agriculture committee during a four-hour emergency meeting Monday night. The Northern Alberta farmer said he is eight months behind on several on his contracts with some of his grain not expected to move until April or May – a timeline that falls in the middle of spring seeding.

“This is not a fictitious backlog. This is reality,” he said. iPolitics’ was at the marathon meeting. You can find the play-by-play here.

iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood

Earlier Monday, the chair of the Senate agriculture and forestry committee said it’s “a safe bet” Bill C-49, which would overhaul the country’s transportation system, will be sent back to the House of Commons for re-consideration. Farm groups and CN rail have said the bill in its current form would not have prevented the crisis unfolding in the Prairies. Several witnesses at last night’s emergency meeting demanded the bill be strengthened to give the Canadian Transportation Agency more “teeth” and improve the data collection timeline.

Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay swung by a Crop Logistics Working Group meeting Monday morning to hear producers concerns about the grain backlog. You can read the full release here.

Meanwhile, road bans are now in effect in parts of Manitoba. In the southern regions of the province limits will run to the end of May and until June 10 in the northern parts of agro-Manitoba. The Manitoba Co-operator has more.

AROUND TOWN

The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture is in Vancouver today, where it is continuing its study on the potential impact of the effects of climate change on the agriculture, agri-food and forestry sectors. Today they’ll hear from researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, and a professor from the University of Northern British Columbia. They’ll stick around Western Canada this week, travelling to Calgary for meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim

The Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications continued its review of Bill C-49 this morning. The committee was scheduled to hear from Gábor Lukács, the founder and coordinator of Air Passenger Rights, as well as representatives from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the Canadian Federation of Musicians. The committee meets again tomorrow evening, where it will pick up its review of Bill C-49.

G3 Canada has announced two new elevators in Western Canada. The company (formally the Canadian Wheat Board) says it will build a primary elevator in Wetaskiwin, Alberta – the first in the province. Another elevator is planned near Maidstone, Sask. You can read the full release here.

MacAulay announced a $25 million investment to the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, which Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says will launch April 1. The program is aimed at helping producers adopt green technology. Here’s more about MacAulay’s announcement yesterday, from Real Agriculture.

Sustainability is crucial for Canadian agriculture. That is why our government is investing $25 million for the Agricultural #CleanTech Program. This investment will reduce agricultural GHGs by helping farmers adopt the latest in green technology. @Francis_Drouin#cdnagpic.twitter.com/f27NpSZ4e2

The federal finance department should look at increasing the maximum lifetime capital gains exemption for Canadian farmers in order to help preserve this country’s supply of farmland. That’s the recommendation included in a new Senate agriculture and forestry committee report that looks at ways to “keep farmland in the hands of Canadian farmers.” The report, which has five recommendations, was tabled earlier this month. You can read the full 44-page document, here.

No charges will be laid against three former executives of the Agriculture Financial Services Corp. in Alberta. As The Western Producer reports, Alberta’s Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier said charges could not be laid because the lavish expenses were ultimately approved by the old board. Carlier also announced Steve Blakey as the new CEO for the crown corporation Monday.

In other provincial-releated news: The Manitoba government says it plans to ease rules around hog barn expansions. The Winnipeg Sun has more.

INTERNATIONALLY

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to levy a whopping $60 billion in annual tariffs against China this week – double what was initially proposed. As The Washington Post reports, Beijing is urging the Trump administration to work through their differences via diplomacy and negotiation. “No one will emerge a winner from a trade war,” China’s premier Li Keqiang told a news conference at the conclusion of China’s annual parliamentary meeting. “What we hope is for us to act rationally instead of being led by emotions.”

Sonny Perdue, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, said on Monday that the country’s agricultural exports could be at risk in retaliation over the steel and aluminum tariffs implemented by the country, which are scheduled to come into effect this week. Here’s more from Reuters on the tariffs, coming-soon.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Trump appears to be “enthusiastic” about coming to an agreement on NAFTA amid signs the trade talks are speeding up.Reuters has that story.

The New York Times takes a heartbreaking look at how the death of the family farm can lead to suicide.